Detroit – The Tigers seemed dead in the water and headed to their 10th straight loss Monday night against N.L East-leading Atlanta Braves.
Seemingly out of nowhere, they caught a spark. They scored three runs off right-hander Raisel Iglesias in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to the 10th. And then, against former Tiger Joe Jimenez, Spencer Torkelson lined a long single to score the free runner and give the Tigers a wild 6-5 win at Comerica Park, snapping the losing streak at nine games.
Torkelson was the ignitor in the ninth, driving a two-run home run almost to the bricks in left-center. With two outs, after Matt Vierling kept the inning alive with a single to right, Zack Short punched a single to right field to tie the game.
Andy Ibanez, who had a career night with walk, double, single and solo home run, made a clutch defensive play to wipe out the free runner in the top of the 10th. Getting a rare start in left field, Ibanez caught a shallow fly ball by Eddie Rosario and threw a strike to catcher Jake Rogers, who tagged out Sean Murphy who had tagged at third base.
The 10-game losing streak is the club’s longest since 2019.
This one seemed like a mismatch from the get-go, especially after the Tigers fell behind 5-1. But they made a game of it. Spencer Torkelson’s two-run home run off right-hander Raisel Iglesias cut the deficit to a run with no outs in the bottom of the ninth. And things got more interesting when Kerry Carpenter followed with a single.
It seemed like a mismatch, early. The Tigers, with five starting pitchers on the injured list, deployed a bullpen start for the second time in six days – meaning they were going to cover all nine innings with relievers.
It’s not ideal, especially given the heavy use of the bullpen during this stretch of games. The Tigers’ starting pitchers have had two starts longer than five innings this month, both by Michael Lorenzen.
Rookie Mason Englert was the first pitcher used and he was nicked for a run in 2.2 innings. The Braves did the heavy damage against Garrett Hill.
Ronald Acuna, Jr., drove in three runs — two with a double in the fifth, the other with an unusual 9-4 fielder’s choice. His bloop fell in front of right-fielder Zach McKinstry, but the runner at first, Michael Harris II, was forced out at second.
Harris had a big night. Coming in hitting .190, he had two singles and then in the eighth hit a solo home run off lefty Tyler Alexander. It was his fourth homer this season.
The Tigers have faced a right-handed starting pitcher in the previous nine losses. On Monday, it was veteran Charlie Morton who locked them down. He scattered four hits and struck out eight in 5.2 scoreless innings.
Morton, according to ESPN Stats and Information, is the first pitcher since the earned run stat has been kept (1913) to make three straight starts against the Tigers allowing no runs with at least eight strikeouts.
Only once did he seem vulnerable. After he breezed through the first two innings, racking up four strikeouts in seven hitters, he walked Andy Ibanez and Jake Rogers, the Nos. 8-9 hitters, to start the third.
But he struck out McKinstry on three pitches, all curveballs. He exploited McKinstry’s aggressiveness. He threw a first-pitch strike, which McKinstry took. Then he threw two more curveballs out of the zone that McKinstry chased.
Morton got out of the inning unscathed getting Spencer Torkelson to fly out and then striking out Kerry Carpenter. He beat Carpenter the same way he beat McKinstry, both left-handed hitters, with curveballs out of the zone.
Ibanez led off the fifth inning with a double to right-center, but like he was in the third, he was stranded there.
Ibanez, who produced three hits and a walk, didn’t stop at second base in the seventh. Against reliever Collin McHugh, he blasted his third home run – 403 feet into the visitor’s bullpen.
Javier Báez, who was on the field three hours before game time taking early batting practice, had a pair of hits. He doubled in the eighth and scored on a two-out single by Zack Short.
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @cmccosky